Drilling tool



Nov. 20, 1951 MECOM 2,575,826 I DRILLING TOOL Filed March 10, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 8 4 l u T 5 L 10 5 A a 2. Z3 14 2 f 1 r v z :1

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Patented Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRILLING TOOL John W. Mecom, Houston, Tex.

Application March 10, 1947, Serial No. 733,501 3 Claims, (01. 2s5--27 This invention relates to a drilling tool of the percussion type.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described comprising a drill and a drill collar with an anvil secured to the upper end of the collar in combination with a rotatable hammer connected to the lower end of a coupling which is connected to, and adapted to be rotated by, a drillstem whereby the hammer will be rotated to impart successive blows to the anvil and hence to the drill. It is another object of the present invention to provide, in an assembly of the character described, a housing connected to the drill collar and sealed with said coupling to exclude gritty fluids from the operating parts.

The invention also includes clutch means whereby the drill stem may be clutched with the drill for simultaneous rotation in case it is desired to rotate the drill for reaming purposes.

The invention alsoincludes a novel type of drill which will be gradually rotated about the bottom of the bore as successive hammer strokes are imparted whereby the formation at the bottom of the bore will be gradually disintegrated as drilling progresses. i i

The invention also embodies novel means for supplying drilling fluid to the operative face of the drill.

With the above and otherobjects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation, partlyin section, of the upper end of the tool.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an intermediate section of the tool in position for percussion drilling.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the lower end of the tool.

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of the upper end of the tool showing the clutch engaged.

Figure 5 is a side view, partly in section, of the lower end of the tool showing the relative position of the parts when the clutch is engaged, and j Figure 6 is a side view, partly infsection, of the complete tool with the parts in position for percussion drilling and showing the opposite side from that shown in Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral l designates the drill to the upper end of which the drill collar 2 is connected.

Attached to the upper end of the drill collar there is the tubular anvil 3.

The upper end face of this anvil is formed with correspondingly inclined faces, as 4, 4 which terminate in oppositely arranged abrupt vertically disposed shoulders, as 5, 5.

Above the anvil 3, and in axial alignment therewith, there is the tubular hammer 6 whose lower end is formed with correspondingly inclined faces '1, l which are pitched to ride on the faces 4, 4 as the hammer rotates and these inclined faces I, "l terminate in vertically disposed shoulders 8, 8.

As the hammer rotates the faces I will ride up along the faces 4 until the shoulders 8 pass the corresponding shoulders 5 and the hammer will then drop by gravity imparting a stroke to the anvil. As illustrated there will be two hammer strokes imparted to the anvil with each rotation of the hammer.

There is a wash pipe 9 whose upper end is screwed into the lower end of the hammer and whose lower end extends down into and through the anvil.

Suitable sealing rings [0 surround the wash pipe and are clamped between an inside annular shoulder II in the anvil and a gland l2 which is screwed into the anvil and abuts said seal rings.

The upper end of the hammer is formed with suitable jaw clutch teeth I3.

There is an elongated tubular coupling [4 whose lower end is screwed into the upper end of the hammer 6 and to whose upper end the operating drill stem I5 is connected.

There is a tubular housing l6 which is fitted closely around the anvil and hammer and whose lower end is threaded onto the upper end of the drill collar 2.

The upper end of this housing is provided with the coarse internal threads H. A tubular clutch member is is fitted closely around the coupling M and its lower end is threaded into the upper end of the housing l6. Its upper end is enlarged internally forming an inside, annular, upwardly facing shoulder to support the seal rings 20 which surround the upper end of the coupling l4 and this seal is clamped in place by means of a gland 2! screwed into the upper end of the clutch member l8.

Above the gland 2| the coupling I4 is enlarged in external diameter so as to be approximately flush with the assembly beneath.

The lower end of the clutch member I8 is formed with the jaw clutch teeth 22 adapted to be brought into and out of clutching relation with the jaw clutch teeth l3. In carrying on ordinary drilling operations the drill I will rest on the bottom of the bore and the hammer B will be'in cooperating relation with the anvil 3, as shown in Figure 6, with the clutch disengaged so that as the-drill stem 15 is rotated rotation will not be imparted to the housing l6 or to the drill but the hammer will rotate relative to the anvil and impart successive strokes thereto as herein above explained.

The drill may be provided with a pilot 23, preferably formed with teeth which converge downwardly. This pilot holds the drill centered relative to the bore and thus conduces to a straight bore hole.

On the underside of the drill spaced outwardly from the pilot are the substantially radial cutting teeth 21. which are pitched slightly lfprwarmy so that with each downward stroke of the hammer the drill will not only be forced downwardly but will be caused, by th'epitoh of the teeth, to partially rotate to the end that the successive strokes will impart successive partial rotations to the drill. This turning movement of the drill is accelerated by the sloping faces 7 striking the sloping faces '4. i V

As is shown in Figure 3 the drill is hollow and leading outwardly from the interior of the drill are the outer and inner channels 25 and 26, suitably spaced apart around the drill and through which the drilling fluid forced down through the drill stern and tool may be supplied to'the formation underneath the drill to carry away the cuttings. The inner surfaces of these passageways 25 and 26 may be formed with hardened-material to reduce the abrasive effect of thedri-lling fluid and the cutters of the pilot and drill should also be hard surfaced as is now common practice.

-In the course of carrying on drilling operations-it-maybedesirable to ream the bore whereupon the drill stem may be moved upwardly 4."

until the teeth {3 engage the teeth 22 and thereafter upon rotation of the drill "stem the drill will be rotated with it and may be moved up and down in the bore hole until the reaming operations are completed. 7

The wash pipe 9-has been provided so that in either position of the tool, whether drilling,

as shown in Figure 2, or reaming, as shown in Figure 5, the drilling fluid will be excluded from the' op'erative parts of the tool, particularly from v the anvil and hammer.

, The drawings and description an illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I'claim .is:

i. A drilling apparatus -comprising,.a rotatable stem, a drillassociated with-the stem and rotat able independently thereof, a hammer carriedby the-stem and rotatable therewith, clutch means on the upper end of the hammer, an anvil on the drill, contacting inclined faces on the-hammer and anvil -respectively and forming means foralternately lifting the'hammer and permitting the same to drop to impart successive strokes to the anvil and also to impartsuccessive partial rotations to the anvil and drill, a housing connected to the drill and fitted closely about the anvil and hammer and slidable longitudinally relative to the hammer, a clutchmember around the stem securedtoth'e upper end 'o'fth'e housing 4 and having clutch means thereon adapted to interengage with and disengage from the clutch means on the hammer upon relative longitudinal movement between the housing and hammer.

2. A drilling apparatus comprising, a rotatable drill stem, a hammer secured to the lower end of the stem whose'u'pper end is formed with clutch teeth, a drill having a drill collar 'ihereon, an anvil secured to the upper end of the drill 'coll'a 'r .ax ial alignment with the hammer, contacting inclined faces on the hammer and anvil respectively and forming means for alternately lifting the hammer and permitting the'same to drop, upon rotation of the hammer, to impart succ'essive 'strokes to the anvil, a housing around the anvil and hammer and whose lower end is secured to the drill collar, said hammer and housing being adapted for relative longitudinal movement, a clutch member spaced above the hammer and surrounding the drill stem and secured to the upper end of the .housing, the lower end of said clutch member being formed with clutch teeth adapted to interengage with the clutch teeth on the hammer, upon upward movementof the hammer-relative to the housing to clutch the stem with the housing whereby the apparatus will rotate as a unit,, said hammer being rotatable independently of thehousing upon downward movement of the hammer :relative to the housing to disengage t-he clutch teeth on the clutchmember from the clutch teeth-on the hammer.

7 3. "A drilling-apparatus comprising, -a rotatable drill stern, -a tubular hammer secured to the lower end of theostem and Whose upper end -is formed withclutch teeth, adrill having a tubular drill *collar thereon, a tubular :anvil secured to the upper end of the drill collar in axial align ment with the hammer, contacting inclined faces on the hammer .andanvil and forming means for alternately lifting the hammer and permitting the same-to drop, upon rotation of the hammer, to impart successive strokes to the-anvil, a-tubular housing around the anviland-hammer whose lower end is secured to the drill collar, a'clutch memberspaced above the-hammerand surrounding, and sealing relation with, the drill stem and secured to the upper end of the housing, the lower endof said clutch member being formed with clutch teeth adapted "to interengage with the clutch teeth on the hammer upon elevation of the hammer, to clutch the stem with the housing whereby the apparatus will rotate as a unit, a wash pipe Whose upper end is secured to the lower 2 end of the hammer :and whose .lower end extends down into and through the anvil when .thahammer is Lineither oi its positions'and asealbetwe'en the wash pipe and the anvil.

JOHN W. MECOM,

JREVFE'YREN'CES CITED The following :referen'ces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

